This is Tomorrow

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Well I predicted this was coming yesterday http://ashleynorris.posterous.com/bbcs-mr-smug-comes-out-fighting but good to see the Tories finally saying they will restructure the BBC if they get elected. According to Conservative culture spokesman Jeremy Hunt the future of the licence fee could depend on the following

# A cap on top BBC executives’ pay of £192,250, (cheers from everyone)
# A block on inflationary increases to the licence fee, (ditto)
# Scrapping the BBC Trust, with powers transferred to an independent body – possibly Ofcom, (about time this worthless bunch of differs was pensioned off)
# BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, limited to promoting products overseas. Parts of it could be sold off, (genius move)
# Dominant online presence scaled back, (this is the bit we have been waiting for)
# Channels with low audiences, such as BBC3 and BBC4 shut down (not happy about this, but you can't have everything)

The bad news is that I think that much of this has been driven by the Murdochs who have almost certainly hatched a deal with Cameron which will mean The Sun supports the Tories at the next election . http://ashleynorris.posterous.com/why-i-think-well-be-paying-for-the-bbc-news-w

The right wing press obviously loves this - the Mail was besides itself with excitement this morning and delivered an editorial which banged on about the Beeb getting a long overdue dose of reality.

It will however be interesting to see how the more liberal papers handle this.The Guardian has a fairly even-handed approach top the Beeb - however it is haemorrhaging so much money http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-earnings-guardian-media-group-swings-to-... and much of that is because it can't properly monetise its web based activity. Were the BBC to rein in its online activities then it would certainly be a lifeline to The Guardian. There would be less competition for eyeballs for stories and more eyeballs means more ad impressions and more money.

Personally I would scale down the BBC's online new activity and then also offer an opt in fee to access the sites which would be on top of the licence fee. Let's say £30 a year. This would at least give an opportunity to existing heritage media and once again create a window for the odd content based start up.

The UK needs a rich and diverse media sector and unless the BBC's online ambitions are curtailed we could see many long cherished media brands wither and die.

← BBC looks to protect copy content

Mark Thompson and the BBC come out fighting

September 17th, 2009 |

This might not please my fellow scrutineers of the BBC on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee nor my friends in the Government for that matter, but I quite like it when the BBC flexes a bit of muscle. And that’s exactly what Mark Thompson has done today, with a no holds barred speech to delegates at the Royal Television Society in Cambridge this afternoon.

Here’s his opening paragraph on the Murdochs:

“I want to start with a few words in defence of that highly but also I’m afraid much and misunderstood public institution, the Murdoch family.

“In many ways, if your name’s Murdoch you can’t win. Every time you open your mouth, people start looking for a hidden agenda. Institutional self-interest. A secret plan to influence current or future political leaders. A lust for world domination.

“Almost no one takes what you say at face value. As Director-General of the BBC, I can’t imagine what that must be like.

“Well, in my view James Murdoch meant every word of his MacTaggart lecture. Admittedly, it can’t be a complete coincidence that every proposal in it is fully aligned with the economic interests of News Corporation. Nonetheless I’m quite certain that he said what he said not because of that, but because he genuinely indeed passionately believes that his ideas, if adopted, would lead not just to a better media sector but a better world.”

And here’s his opening riposte to Ben Bradshaw:

“There was much in what Ben said last night that I could agree wholeheartedly with. His pride in the public service journalism he’d been involved in himself – and which he knows audiences here and around the world still trust and depend on. His scepticism about whether market-solutions alone can deliver the quality, range and plurality that the British public deserve. His determination to build a strong and balanced creative sector for the UK.

“But there was plenty that was frankly puzzling as well. He set out a long list of the current BBC public services. By the way, I don’t know many broadcasters who haven’t launched multiple services over the past decade. But with one or two exceptions, these new BBC services weren’t approved by the BBC Trust. They were approved by the Government of which Ben is a member. Indeed, the Government asked the BBC to launch a range of new services to help with their policy of encouraging the public to move to digital television and radio. Ben’s surprise at these services is itself surprising.”

I don’t agree with everything the BBC does but I admire their spirit for the fight. I also find these debates insular and a little cliquey. Still, once you’re in a fight, you’re in. And the BBC is now well and truly, in.

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via tom-watson.co.uk

From Tom Watson's blog http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2009/09/mark-thompson-and-the-bbc-come-out-fighting/

Thompson might be a Smug git, but the Murdoch opener is very funny

I bet Tory back benchers are being briefed on this right now

3

18 Sep 2009

At last. The Tories have the BBC in their sights.

0

17 Sep 2009

BBC's Mr Smug comes out fighting

Mark Thompson and the BBC come out fighting

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